Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, May 06, -
The African Development Bank (AfDB) is zealous of charting an incisive
partnership with the media in Africa to change the narrative to positive
developments.
Dr Victor Oladokun, Director of
Communication and External Media
Relations of the Bank disclosed this at an orientation programme for select
Journalists from Africa invited to familiarise themselves with evidence-based
Model Village project as a success story in Yamousokro, Cote d'Ivoire.
It is a partnership between the
Bank and the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) Trust Fund to remodel
poor and rural areas into zones of economic growth and prosperity.
The aim of the programme is to
allow them to familiarise with development projects of the Bank and own its
reportage rather than receiving press releases.
He noted there are many positive
success stories to be told about the continent and the Bank was committed to
championing that collaboration for especially its H5 development agenda to get
the desired participation by all stakeholders.
The Bank's H5 entails Lighting up
Africa, Feed Africa, Integrate Africa, Industrialise Africa and Improve Quality
of life on the continent.
Dr Oladokun said the Bank was
therefore undertaking an intensive engagement with the media, forging closer
ties, supporting and providing resources to showcase its projects to the
masses.
"Help us focus attention on
some of the prevailing issues, help us in our work. We believe in telling our
stories with evidence and no longer bore you with data and statistics, he said.
The Director of Communication
said the Bank had stepped up its new Business Delivery Model offices to 40 from
the 14 previous ones tended to bring direct business to the doorstep of
customers.
He said development under a
centralised system was inimical for rapid development and the way to go was
private, public partnership to change the face of doing business in the
continent.
"We believe in the future of
Africa. Development is evidence-based and we are glad to provide it."
Dr Oladokun said all rating
agencies scored the Bank AAA in fronts including; risk management, liquidity
and financing, an indication his outfit was doing well.
He said enormous progress had
been achieved including; the Cape Town to Cairo highway road network yet the
continent was expected to feed about 2
billion of its population (the population of China and India combined) and
there was need to prepare the continent through multiple approaches.
GNA
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